


(you left your mark on me) a golden tattoo

by manbun_zukka



Series: dual blades [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Getting Together, M/M, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Zuko has self-esteem issues :(, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, but Sokka helps him through them, lesbian Toph, no beta because we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24880366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manbun_zukka/pseuds/manbun_zukka
Summary: Sokka woke up on his thirteenth birthday with a word tattooed on his hip in unfamiliar, red script. He knew immediately that he’d just gotten his soulmate. He also knew that his soulmate was not from the Water Tribe.He couldn’t help but panic, because the writing was in red, and red meant only one thing to the Water Tribe, and that was fire.His soulmate was from the Fire Nation.Sokka groaned and rolled over, pressing his face into his pillow and wishing that it could all be a dream.---Zuko woke up on his thirteenth birthday with gentle, blue writing curving over the left side of his rib cage. His soulmark. And his soulmate, whoever they were, was not from the Fire Nation.They were from the Water Tribe.His father was going to kill him.He always knew that his father would lead to his eventual demise, but he’d hoped that he might make it till sixteen, at least.Looks like he got thirteen years. He’d had a good run, but if his father ever found out about his soulmark, he’d have Zuko burned alive.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Sokka
Series: dual blades [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833427
Comments: 93
Kudos: 2407
Collections: Series that I want to read once they are complete





	(you left your mark on me) a golden tattoo

**Author's Note:**

> Hello awesome nerds! This idea has been brewing in my head for quite some time, and I hope you can enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! My last ATLA fic got so much amazing love, and I wanted to thank you wonderful people for that support, by supplying you with another serving of 'stupid, gay, and powerful'.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ

Sokka woke up on his thirteenth birthday with a word tattooed on his hip in unfamiliar, red script. He knew immediately that he’d just gotten his soulmate. He also knew that his soulmate was not from the Water Tribe. 

He couldn’t help but panic, because the writing was in red, and red meant only one thing to the Water Tribe, and that was  _ fire _ . 

His soulmate was from the  _ Fire Nation _ .

Sokka groaned and rolled over, pressing his face into his pillow and wishing that it could all be a dream.

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

  
  


Zuko woke up on his thirteenth birthday with gentle, blue writing curving over the left side of his rib cage. His soulmark. And his soulmate, whoever they were, was  _ not  _ from the Fire Nation. 

They were from the Water Tribe.

His father was going to kill him.

He always knew that his father would lead to his eventual demise, but he’d hoped that he might make it till sixteen, at least. 

Looks like he got thirteen years. He’d had a good run, but if his father ever found out about his soulmark, he’d have Zuko burned alive. 

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

  
  


Zuko, surprisingly enough, was not yet dead by his father’s hand.

Sure, he’d been banished, branded, and traumatized enough for his entire lifetime in the span of a day, but he’d gotten out, and even if he’d spent almost three years searching for someone who’d been missing for a century, at least his father hadn’t killed him for his soulmark. 

“Prince Zuko.” his uncle’s voice startled him out of his thoughts. “Am I interrupting something?”

He’d been trying to meditate on the bow of the ship, but had been failing miserably, too lost in thoughts about a mysterious stranger, dressed in blue. “No, Uncle.” Zuko said, stretching and standing up from his mat. He moved to stand further towards the front of the ship, looking off into the horizon, and Iroh followed. “Uncle,” Zuko started unsurely. “Did you ever meet your soulmate?”

Iroh didn’t look offended, or even surprised, and answered swiftly. “I did, once. My wife and I were in an arranged marriage, I’m sure you knew that, and even though she wasn’t my soulmate, I loved her dearly. I’ll always miss her. But my soulmate, yes. She was a fiery warrior, and we only met in passing, but I’ll always remember her. As royals, it is our duty to continue the bloodline, but as  _ peopl _ e _ ,  _ Zuko, it is our duty to be happy. Your aunt, she made me happy. But it is your soulmate, Zuko, that is truly the one for you.”

Zuko hummed in acknowledgement of what Iroh had said, but couldn’t stop thinking about his other half, the person that was supposedly meant for him. “Just because you are a prince,” Iroh said, drawing Zuko back from his thoughts, “Doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be with your soulmate, whoever they are. The Spirits are never wrong, when they pair two people together. You and your soulmate  _ will  _ cross paths, and when you do, you should jump at that opportunity.”

“What would happen though, if my soulmate wasn’t from the Fire Nation?” the prince asked quietly, not making eye contact with his uncle. 

“That wouldn’t change the fact that they’re your soulmate, Prince Zuko.”

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

Yue wasn’t his soulmate.

Sokka knew that, because she had her soulmark on her wrist, and it was in the shape of a glowing, full moon. Not words, and certainly not Sokka’s name.

But he couldn’t help but feel like he was losing a part of himself when she went cold in his arms. Like there was a bit of him that floated up towards the moon with her. 

His arms stayed open where he’d been holding her, almost as if she was still there. Katara knelt down next to him, and Sokka let out a broken sob, collapsing into his sister. She wrapped her arms around him and let him cry, whispering into his ear, “Was she your soulmate?”

“No,” Sokka breathed out in a shaky whisper. “But I still feel like I’ve lost a bit of myself.”

“It’ll be okay, Sokka.” Katara whispered. “You’ll find your soulmate one day, someone who makes you just as happy as Yue, if not happier.”

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

  
  


“What’s the deal with soulmates, anyways?” Toph asked one night, when they were all sitting around the campfire. Katara glanced quickly at Aang, but looked away just as fast, blushing a deep crimson. Aang was blushing too, but it was less visible from where he was sitting in the half-light. “I mean, I get the whole ‘other half, perfect pair’ thing, but it’s kind of infuriating, as a blind person, because I’ve got no clue what my mark looks like, or where it is. And I know, you get that feeling when you meet your soulmate, so I’ll be able to tell from that, but still.” she sighed, looking dejected.

“Well, why don’t you ask Mr. and Mrs. Lovebird over there what it’s like to meet your soulmate?” Sokka joked, jostling Katara with his shoulder. 

“Oh, shut up, Sokka,” Katara yelped, blushing even deeper. Aang just let out an embarrassed ‘meep’ of sorts, and turned burgundy. “Why don’t you tell us about  _ your  _ soulmate, eh? I’ve never even seen your mark, it has to be someone deep and mysterious!”

“Ah, em, I, uh, I don’t, erm, recognize the name.” he stuttered out, which wasn’t technically a lie. 

“Oh, c’mon Sokka, just tell us who it is!” Katara pressed, not taking no for an answer. “I’m sure if you can’t read it than Aang can, he can read all of the scripts! It’s not like they’re from the Fire Nation, or something!”

“Haha,” Sokka tried, hoping that his sister couldn’t hear the breathlessness behind it. “No, of course not!”

“Toph, is he lying?” Katara asked, never knowing when to leave a topic alone. Sokka mentally cursed himself for forgetting that Toph was a human lie-detector. “Is he?”

“No.” Toph answered without hesitation, and Sokka reached out to touch her hand, as a way of showing thanks. “But I think the two of us need to have a little chat, yeah?”

She stood up and grabbed Sokka’s hand, pulling him away from the fire, and he called back to Katara and Aang, “Uh, we’ll be back in a bit, don’t worry!”

They walked in silence for a few minutes, stopping when they reached the edge of a cliff that overlooked the forest beneath them. Toph sat down and dangled her legs over the edge, and Sokka followed suit, pulling one of his knees up to his chest. 

“So your soulmate’s Fire Nation?” Toph asked softly, still turned towards the horizon.

“Yeah.” Sokka whispered, the word floating away on the evening breeze.

“You know that that’s okay, right?” she said, laying a hand on his knee. “I know it seems like they’re all horrible, and they’re all the bad guys, but really, it’s just a small percentage of them that are bad, and those people happen to be the ones in power. And one day, we’re going to beat all of their asses, and you’ll meet your soulmate, who can’t be such a horrible person, if they’re meant for you. I know I’m not good at comfort, but please, Sokka, you’ve got to believe me. It’ll be okay.”

“Yeah.” Sokka whispered again, laying his head on Toph’s shoulder.

She let him stay there.

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

  
  


The metallic sounds of sword on sword resonated through the small clearing in the forest where Sokka and Zuko were sparring, frightening some birds out of their nests. Zuko had his two blades crossed up against Sokka’s, and he laughed triumphantly when Sokka finally gave in, tumbling to the ground.

As Zuko lay his swords down on the ground and reached down to help Sokka up, he froze halfway down, noticing the words marking Sokka’s hip.

“Sokka…” he whispered. “Your soulmark.”

“Oh, yeah.” Sokka blushed, looking away from the prince. “I know you can probably read it, but it’s not a big deal, or anything-”

“Sokka.” Zuko interrupted him, voice shaking. “That’s my name.”

Sokka’s eyes widened as he realized what Zuko meant, his head spinning. He sat up and leaned against a tree, Zuko following suit not long after.

“So that- that means that we’re soulmates.” Sokka whispered. Zuko closed his eyes beside him, and Sokka felt the overwhelming urge to grab his hand. So he did. Sokka squeezed, and Zuko squeezed back. 

“I’m sorry you got stuck with me.” Zuko sighed, laying an arm over his face. “You deserve better.”

“No.” Sokka said, suddenly fierce. “You’re amazing, and strong, and brave, and compassionate, and if anything, you deserve more than a sad sack like me.”

Zuko said nothing, but he turned to face Sokka, burying his face in the warrior’s shoulder. “I’m not amazing. I’m ruined, Sokka. Messed up since birth. I was never anything but a disappointment, not to my family, and not to the world.”

“Hey,” Sokka reprimanded, unused to this new, vulnerable side of Zuko. “You’re so much more than that, to me at least. And to Toph, and Aang, and even Katara, although it did take her a minute. You stopped doing bad shit, and took a look around you, and went the other way. You helped to  _ break my dad out of prison _ , Zuko. Only the good guys orchestrate spur-of-the-moment prison breaks!”

The prince let out a humorless laugh into Sokka’s shoulder, and Sokka held tighter to him, wishing that he never had to let go. “Do you really think that?”

“Do I- Spirits, Zuko, of course I do.” Sokka said. “I’ve known since the day that you first tried to  _ literally kill me _ that you weren’t happy being that person. And you’re not him anymore. You’re you.”

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

  
  


It went unspoken between the two of them that they’d keep their discovery to themselves, and wouldn’t immediately jump into a relationship because of it. They’d feel each other out, get used to it, really get to know each other and become connected on a deeper level than before.

One night, the two of them were sitting by the fire after everyone had gone to bed, Sokka’s head leaning onto Zuko’s shoulder.

“Did I ever tell you how I got my scar?”

“Hmm?” Sokka mumbled, looking up at Zuko. “I thought it was just a training accident, right?”

“No,” Zuko breathed, grabbing onto Sokka’s hand. “It wasn’t.”

He looked into the fire, and Sokka could see the reflection of the flames dancing in Zuko’s golden eyes, so beautiful, even in the darkness. “When I was a kid, my father would let me sit in on some of his meetings because, even though he didn’t like it, I was the heir to the throne. One day, a major general made a proposal, something about purposefully losing a small battle so that we could win a bigger one, but we would lose a  _ lot  _ of our men, and I thought that was a bad idea. So I spoke up.

“My father, dipshit that he is, took that as an insult to the crown. He-” here, Zuko faltered. He still hadn’t looked Sokka in the eyes, but Sokka couldn’t imagine looking at anything but Zuko’s face in that moment. He had tears glistening in the bottom of his eyes, and when one escaped Sokka reached out to brush it away with his thumb. Zuko let out a shaky exhale, before beginning again. “He challenged me to an Agni Kai.” Sokka sucked in a sharp breath. “But I refused. I wouldn’t fight back. So, he branded me. Got himself a handful of fire and held it to my face. Didn’t let go until he knew it would leave a mark that would stay. Then he banished me. He told me not to come back until I had found the Avatar.” 

“Z…” Sokka whispered, laying a hand on his cheek and tilting his face so that he was looking into Zuko’s eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

Zuko let out a quiet sob, and Sokka held his arms open in invitation, letting Zuko collapse into them. Sokka whispered sweet nothings into his ear as Zuko sobbed quietly, grasping tightly to the back of Sokka’s shirt. “I’ve got you,” he promised, voice shaking Zuko to his core. “I’ve got you.”

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

“I met my soulmate.” 

Toph’s soft words startled the group out of silence. They were all sitting around the campfire, cups of tea in their hands, contemplating the approaching comet and battles. Sokka turned his head to look at Zuko, who looked back at him, smiling slightly. They turned away before anyone could notice, but the warm feeling that Sokka had gotten when he looked at Zuko still lingered. 

“Really?” Suki asked softly, looking at Toph with a tilted head. 

“Yeah. It was a while back, actually. She was a Kyoshi Warrior, named Lin.” the earthbender sounded unusually sad, a castaway look lingering on her face.

“Was?” Katara whispered. 

“She died, when the village was burned.” Sokka noticed how Zuko straightened up beside him like he always did when he felt guilty, and reached out, brushing a hand over his hip. “I only met her once, but I knew it was her. We were sparring for a bit, and then I reached out to help her up, and I felt it, that spark, y’know? It kinda sucks that I’ll never really be able to know her, but I doubt my parents would’ve let me marry a woman anyways, so I would never have been able to be happy. If I ever have a daughter, I think I’d name her Lin. It’s a nice name.”

“I’m so sorry, Toph,” Suki whispered, and Zuko felt the guilt and the shame of his past actions creeping up his spine, whispers in his ear of  _ ‘you did this’  _ and  _ ‘you’ll always be evil’  _ and  _ ‘why didn’t the Firelord kill you in the first place?’ _ .

“I should be the sorry one.” Zuko protested quietly, hanging his head in shame. 

“No.” Toph insisted, looking straight at Zuko with a glare that could melt icebergs. “If she was my soulmate, then the Spirits must have had that in their plan for me, and that’s just how it was gonna go. Besides, Zuko, you were a different dude back then. You’re much more chill now.”

“I- um, thanks, Toph.”

“That really does suck, Toph,” Sokka offered. “I don’t know what I’d do if my soulmate died. Even the  _ idea  _ of losing them hurts. They’re so important to me now, even if they forget that sometimes.”

“WhAt?!” Katara yelped, jumping up off the log she had been sitting on next to Aang. “You know who your soulmate is?! And you didn’t tell me!?”

Sokka mentally cursed himself, bracing himself as he looked up into his sister’s wrathful face. “Um, surprise?”

“No.” Katara raged. “You do  _ not  _ get to do that. Seriously, Sokka, what in the world? Who is it? You can’t weasel your way out of this one.”

“No, Katara. I’m not telling you just because you put on a brave face and glare at me, and get all mad and stuff.” (Ever the eloquent one, Sokka.  _ Get all mad and stuff _ ?) “That’s my prerogative, okay? So you’d better just leave it alone!”

And then he stormed off into the woods.

Alone.

At night.

“I should probably go follow him.” Zuko muttered, getting up from the fire and running after Sokka.

He caught up with Sokka in the clearing in the woods where it had all begun, and sat down gently next to him on the grass, leaning against a tree. “What was that all about?” Zuko whispered.

“I- I just-” Sokka stuttered, before letting out a dejected sigh. “Honestly, I don’t know. You know me, I  _ never  _ get defensive like that around Katara. I just- I didn’t want her to go off on you. You know how she gets. I mean, she’s really warmed up to you, but I’m just not sure how she’d take to you being my soulmate.”

“Did you really mean that?” Zuko asked quietly. “What you said back there, about not knowing what to do if I died?”

“Of course I did.” Sokka breathed. “I get it now, I understand what everyone means when they talk about their soulmates. Because it  _ does  _ feel like you’re my other half, and it  _ does  _ feel like there’s no one I’d rather be with than you. Do you understand that? Because I need you to understand that you’re it for me, Zuko. I know we’re not, like, romantically involved, or anything, but you’re my soulmate, and I’ve never felt like this before, about  _ anyone _ .”

And then he kissed him.

Softly, sweetly, gently, like nothing that Zuko had ever experienced before. He melted into the embrace, his hands winding their way around Sokka’s waist as his moved up to cup Zuko’s face. They moved in tandem, like their souls were intertwined, Sokka’s tongue slipping gently into Zuko’s mouth.

When they pulled apart, Sokka smiled coyly at Zuko, and Zuko blushed and laughed, burying his face into Sokka’s shoulder. “Are we really going to do this? The whole  _ romance  _ thing?”

“Would you really want that?” Sokka whispered, looking down into Zuko’s amber eyes. “Because I do.”

“Yeah.” Zuko answered without hesitation. “I do too.”

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

  
  


“Promise me, Katara, that you’ll come back in one piece, okay?”

“I promise.” she whispered, launching herself at Sokka in a powerful hug. “Stay safe, idiot. I love you.”

“I love you too, nimrod.” Sokka breathed, holding her tight. “Listen, I’ve just got to say goodbye to someone, but really, Katara, please, be careful.”

“I will, I will.” Katara sighed, pulling back from the embrace. “Go on, say goodbye to whoever this person is, and you be careful too, Sokka.”

Sokka moved away from his sister, jogging across the camp to where Zuko was standing, wringing his hands together and pacing. He grabbed the prince into a furious hug, rocking back and forth.

“Don’t do anything stupid and noble that gets you killed, okay?” he pleaded, grabbing fistfuls of Zuko’s robes. 

“I won’t do anything stupid and noble that gets me killed, so long as you don’t do anything  _ just plain stupid _ , yeah?” Zuko huffed, tucking his face further into Sokka’s shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I promise I won’t do anything stupid,” Sokka pledged, pressing a gentle kiss to the base of Zuko’s neck. 

They stood like that for a moment, wrapped up in each other, breathing each other in for what could’ve been the last time. They parted reluctantly, peeling off to different sides of the camp, and Zuko can’t help but notice Iroh’s piercing stare as he and Katara head off towards the palace.

  
  


\---🔥💧💨🌱---

  
  


Sokka couldn’t sit still.

He knew he should’ve been still, and he couldn’t exactly  _ stand up and walk around _ , but the fingers on his unbroken hand kept crossing and uncrossing, twisting together and folding up. 

“You okay?” Aang asked quietly as he sat down next to him.

“No,” Sokka answered honestly. “It’s nothing though.”

“He’s your soulmate, Sokka, it’s okay to be worried about him.” Aang offered, and Sokka stilled next to him, eyes widening in realization.

“How did you know?” he whispered.

“Eh, you two’ve always had this kind of relationship, you were just  _ close _ . You seemed to understand each other more than other people did.”

Sokka hummed at this, his breath catching in his throat when Katara finally opened the door to Zuko’s room in the palace infirmary. “He’s awake.” she announced, collapsing tiredly next to Aang.

Sokka got up quickly, and limped through the open door, seeing the prince laying half-conscious in bed, his torso bandaged and his hair in a haphazard top-knot.

“I thought,” Sokka started, reaching Zuko’s bed and gently pulling him into an embrace. “I told you not to do anything stupid and noble that could get you killed.”

“I thought I told you not to do anything stupid in general.” Zuko breathed, letting Sokka hold him.

“I didn’t do anything stupid!” Sokka insisted, tucking a stray piece of hair behind Zuko’s ear. “You’re the one who literally  _ jumped in front of a lightning bolt _ .”   
  


“Sokka, you jumped off of a moving air-ship.” Zuko sighed, pulling back from the embrace to cup Sokka’s face with his hands. “That is the definition of stupid.” 

Sokka shook his head and chuckled, leaning down to kiss Zuko softly. “Just don’t get struck by lightning again, okay?”

“Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this fic, and if you did, please leave a comment and kudos down below, they always make my day! I hope your wonderful people have an amazing rest of your day! Stay cool, my dudes!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ


End file.
